#zackweek2020

[rin-hanarin]

Things I made for Zack Week.

[snowlily95]

Fanfic for ZackWeek

@ffseven #zackweek » Day 1: Animal care

Title: As Tender and Loyal As A Puppy

Summary:

Aerith loved Zack. But she knew his heart is big enough for her and all his friends. In which Aerith realised how Zack saved people in more ways than one.

** A tribute for Zack Fair

https://archiveofourown.org/works/26613493

[rune-writes]

As Long As You’re Safe

@ffseven #zackweek » Day 3: Family

The Price of Freedom Part 3

Word Count: 1552

Rating: G

Summary: After their first trip to the Nibelheim reactor, Zack accompanies Cloud to visit his mother.

Note: This was inspired by the mails Zack received in Nibelheim, in which Cloud asked Zack to come with him to visit his mother. (It was tempting to write Zerith, but the Family prompt won me :3)

Read on AO3.

~*~*~*~*~

Cloud still lay on the bed when Zack returned to their room at the inn that afternoon. His friend had his head turned toward the window, watching the sky ablaze in deep red and orange, the last stretches of sunlight before it set beyond the peaks of Mount Nibel. Wisps of cloud drifted past, silhouettes of birds gliding among them. There was a sort of longing in the way Cloud gazed at the sky—a sort of deflated sigh as his chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. Or maybe it wasn’t the sky he was looking at? Zack followed Cloud’s line of sight and found himself looking at the village water tower just visible beyond the windows.

He had heard it was a famous dating spot.

Do you know Tifa? Zack had asked him.

Sort of.

Talked to her?

No.

When he learned that Cloud would be going with him to Nibelheim, Zack had thought the guy would be ecstatic. Even Sephiroth had permitted him to visit family and friends. But then Cloud had stayed at the inn, standing guard with the other infantryman, never showing any signs of taking his helmet off. Not that it had been any of Zack’s business, but when he noticed his friend becoming mute every time a villager drew near, he couldn’t help but think it…odd. Because if he were in Cloud’s shoes and he was back in Gongaga…

Zack cast his eyes down, leaning against the doorway and folding his arms across his chest. If he were back in Gongaga, he’d go to his parents’ house first thing and he’d announce, “Mom! Dad! I made it!”

“Zack?”

The abrupt call broke through his reverie and he looked to see Cloud staring at him. The exhaustion was gone. He’d protected Tifa back at the reactor and the latter had helped him get down the mountain. Now both of them were worried about the other. Zack wanted to chuckle at this cute little observation.  

“So,” Zack began. “When are you gonna go to your Mom’s?”

Cloud blinked several times before he recalled the invitation he had offered Zack—to come over to his house and try his Mom’s cooking. Zack had recognized the face of someone who hadn’t been home for years and hadn’t sent any word.

“It’s as good a time as any,” he went on. “Sephiroth’s locked himself in the mansion and I’ve got nothing else to do.” His gaze fell on Cloud, a tiny teasing grin creeping across his face. “And you haven’t gone to see your Mom, right?”

***

Cloud’s house was the small cottage at the edge of the village, on the opposite side of the inn, beyond the water tower. It was easily recognizable from the little flower garden at the front. Beside it was a two-story building that looked like a house, at which Zack noticed Cloud steering clear of, even going as far as ducking his helmeted head every time someone passed them or called for another.

“You nervous?” Zack asked.

“Yeah.” Cloud’s voice was small and quiet, his shoulders drawn as if he wanted to disappear.

“You’d stand out more if you walked like that,” he whispered. “Stand tall, and proud.”

“But…” Cloud’s feet dragged across the barren, sandy ground. “I failed.”

“They don’t know that.”

“My mom will.”

Zack glanced at his young, dejected friend. “Is your mom the type who holds you in high expectations?”

“No.”

“Then everything’s alright, right?”

Cloud pressed his lips together but didn’t say anything else.

Each step drew them nearer toward the door until their feet finally stopped and Cloud drew a shuddering breath. He looked up at Zack, who gave him an encouraging nod, before lifting his hand and knocked three times. They heard the call almost immediately. Zack gave Cloud’s shoulder a gentle, reassuring squeeze, drawing back his hand when the door swung open.

A woman stood there, dressed in a brown shirt and white apron, her blond hair tied to a ponytail. She looked like an older, female version of Cloud. For a fraction of a second, Zack could imagine what Cloud would look like in his early thirties.

“Can I help you?” the woman said when none of them said anything.

“Ah! Yes, hello, I’m—” Zack spared Cloud a glance. His friend had turned to stone. “—with the company that arrived here the other day.”

“Oh, the SOLDIERs checking on the reactor?” Cloud’s mother pushed the door wider, wiping her hands on her apron and straightening her back. A bright smile graced her lips. “What can I do for you?”

Zack relaxed at her welcome. He told her his name and asked if she was Mrs. Strife. She blinked. Even the surprised gesture looked similar. Zack refrained himself from smiling.

But as she tilted her head to the side, her eyes suddenly widened around the edges and horror filled her face. “Cloud? Is it something about Cloud? Do you know my Cloud?”

Her sudden outburst took him by surprise. Zack hadn’t expected the notion of Cloud would send his mother on a frenzy panic.

“He’s not hurt, is he?” she went on. “I haven’t heard from him for years! I thought he’d come when I heard SOLDIERs would be coming, but apparently he didn’t, and I couldn’t stop myself from thinking the worst—”

Zack didn’t quite know what to do or what to say. Who was he to say anything about it? He hadn’t gone home for longer than Cloud had been away and the only word he’d sent his parents was a letter a few months back. Zack moved—to do what he didn’t quite know—console her? Pat her back? Assure her that no, her son was fine and healthy, and in fact, he was right there in front of her, too embarrassed to show his own face.

But Cloud got to her first when he called her “Mom”, his voice quiet but firm. Mrs. Strife looked up at the infantryman beside him. Zack could hear the smile on Cloud’s voice when his friend said, “Mom, I’m home.”

Mrs. Strife knitted her brows. She might be about to say, “What?” from the way her mouth opened, but then she narrowed her sky-blue eyes, and she stepped closer to scrutinize the grunt’s face. Zack witnessed the moment she gasped, tears welling in her eyes, as she said, “Cloud?” Cloud didn’t get the chance to answer before she threw her arms around him in a bone-crunching hug.

***

She ushered them inside and Zack introduced himself as a SOLDIER 1st Class who accompanied Sephiroth on this mission to check on the reactor. Mrs. Strife knew about Sephiroth. Of course, she did. Her son had idolized the hero for years before deciding to go to Midgar two years prior. Look at you, all grown up, she said. Cloud brushed her off saying it had only been two years, to which his mother countered that it had been two years.

Zack stood a ways away, watching this teasing banter between mother and son. Mrs. Strife noted the clothes Cloud wore, different from the ones Zack and Sephiroth donned. The same one as the guard who stood on his post in front of the inn. Cloud gave her a bitter smile and said, his voice quiet, “I didn’t make it.” There was a pause that stretched for one second longer, but then Mrs. Strife smiled a soft understanding smile and told her son that as long as he was safe, that was all she had ever hoped for.

As long as he was safe…

The words made him pause. Zack had never thought about that. Maybe that was how mothers were. No matter how long their sons had been away, they’d still wait, hoping to receive good news that their sons were alive and healthy. Would his parents say the same if he were to appear on their doorstep unannounced—bigger, older, much more different from the thirteen-year-old boy who had left Gongaga five years ago? His voice had changed. His appearance more so. Would they even recognize him?

“Good thing I made stew today,” Mrs. Strife said. Her bright smile was back. Then her eyes fell on Zack. “I planned to give some to you and the others at the inn, but well, since you’re here now, that can wait for another time.” She turned around on her heels and headed for the kitchen where a steaming pot lay over the stove. “How exciting! A welcome-back party for Cloud!”

“Mom, you don’t have to—”

“Oh, nonsense! Let a mother spoil her son.” She looked over her shoulder, her grin radiant. “Take a seat, Zack. I hope you’ll love it.”

A few feet away, Cloud, who had taken off his helmet, grunted, his face red with mortification. He looked at Zack and gave him an embarrassed chuckle.

“Sorry, Mom can be a bit…”

And Zack couldn’t help but laugh. Because despite Cloud’s reservations and nervousness at the prospect of meeting his mother, meeting any of the townspeople, Zack could still feel his excitement at having been back at his hometown. A luxury he couldn’t say he ever had. See, he wanted to say, everything’s alright. Zack grinned at the blush coloring Cloud’s cheeks.

“Let’s eat, Cloud.”

~ END ~

[rune-writes]

Rat Problem

@ffseven #zackweek » Day 2: Mission

The Price of Freedom Part 2

Word Count: 627

Rating: T

Warning: some graphic descriptions of violence. TW: blood 

Summary: After learning that Zack had brought an animal inside the building, the Director of SOLDIER sent Zack and Kunsel to the sewers to eliminate some rat problem. 

Note: just something short to celebrate Zack Week :) I love Zack and Kunsel shenanigans

Read on AO3.

~*~*~*~*~

“What are we doing here?” Zack said as another sahagin fell under his blade.

Kunsel grunted, pulling his sword from the body of the reptilian folk. “You know why,” he said. He stretched his back and rolled his neck.

Even though everyone had kept quiet, the Director had still found out about Zack’s short rule breaking. Angeal said he hadn’t been the one who had told the Director about Stamp. So how did the Director find out? Zack didn’t particularly care. He’d take any kind of punishment if it meant getting Stamp a home. He had said that, boldly, but now as he swung his sword at probably the hundredth enemy that evening, his arms shaking from the sahagin’s parry with its spear, Zack wondered if he had been too bold.

Rat problem, the Director had said when he called Zack and Kunsel to his office. The sewers are teeming with them. Eliminate them before their numbers grow.

As though these walking amphibians were rats. Zack ducked under the sahagin’s thrust and slashed at its open front. Dark green blood splattered across his face. The monster fell in one fell swoop, thrashing on the ground, until its movement slowly ceased to a stop.

“I think that’s the last of them,” Kunsel said, joining his side. He stared at Zack’s face. “You’ve got a little—”

“I know.” Zack wiped his face with his arm, but it only smeared the blood further. Zack frowned.  

“Think you just made it worse.”

“Think I did.”

“Wanna call it a day then?”

“Didn’t the Director say to clean the whole nest?”

Kunsel snorted. “Do you know how the deep the sewers go? Look at all the monsters we’ve slain, and we’ve barely scratched the surface.”

He was right. It had only taken them one step into the waterway for the sahagins to leap out of the murky water and attack them with their spears. Not only that, but the lightings were dim and flickering and some chambers were in complete blackout. It had taken them hours to maneuver in the dark, until their eyes grew adjusted and they finally found the generator switch. Not that they could turn it on. Apparently, the battery had been dead for years. By the time they managed to power the generator, the space was already crawling with wererats and blugus and shoats, their small black eyes filled with rage or hunger or pure predatory instinct. Now, carcasses littered the floor, the stench growing unbearable.

“He probably meant we’d be doing this for a while,” Kunsel went on.

Zack sighed, flicking his sword to remove blood from the steel. Drops of black and green and blue flew across the floor.

“All this just for bringing in a dog,” he said, clipping his sword into place on his back.

“Maybe not.”

“What do you mean?”

Kunsel shrugged. “I wouldn’t put it past Shinra if there’s something they want to find or some monster they want to kill—huge-ass monster that probably got in the way of whatever they’re doing in the sewers.”

Zack stared at his friend, tilting his head to the side. “Huh,” was all he said. Why not say that then if that was what they had wanted them to do?

Kunsel’s laugh echoed across the chamber. “Well, who knows what’s going on in their heads? Might actually just be a punishment for bringing in the pup.” He flicked his sword. “So, wanna head back?”

Zack could still go on, to be honest, but he had to admit that he was getting tired. Fighting against countless hordes of angry monsters in just a few hours had taken a toll on his body. And they had gotten pretty far from the sewer entrance. Maybe they deserved a break.

“Sure.”

~ END ~

[rune-writes]

Stamp

@ffseven #zackweek » Day 1: Stamp

The Price of Freedom Part 1

Word count: 2260

Rating: G

Summary: Zack and Kunsel are on an excursion around Midgar when he heard a canine whine coming from an alley. 

Note: A chapter dedicated to Zack and Kunsel’s friendship (Kunsel needs more love)

Read on AO3.

~*~*~*~*~

Rain poured hard that evening as Zack and Kunsel crossed the street under a red light. People were still moving up and about, holding black or blue or green umbrellas over their heads. When the light turned green, horns blared, and cars zoomed past. A night like any other night in Midgar, as quiet as it could get. Even with the rain, Zack could still hear shouts hollered from one window to another.

It was one of his rare days off and Zack hadn’t quite known what to do with it. He had ended up training in the training rooms or using one of the simulations until Angeal caught him with his sword and told him to rest. Don’t push your body any more than it needs to, he’d said, though Zack hadn’t felt like he was pushing himself too much. Angeal had confiscated his sword and kicked him out of the simulation chamber.

“Let’s go out, then,” Kunsel had said later when he found Zack lounging on one of the benches at the lounge. Zack’s long legs stretched across the floor tiles, his hands laced behind his head as he stared upwards at the sleek gray ceiling. He had looked up at Kunsel’s approach. “Didn’t you say you wanted to buy some things?” So that’s what they did, Kunsel accompanying Zack in an excursion across the city, cut short when the wind began howling and thunders started rumbling.

A soft canine whine rose over the cacophony of the downpour. Zack stopped in his tracks, groceries swaying in the paper bag on his hands. It came from the alley on his left, narrow, with not much light safe for a flickering lamp over a back door to some store. It was enough to show him a box among the trash by the dumpster.

“Zack.” Kunsel, who had gotten head, paused, and looked behind his shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

“Can you come here for a sec?” Zack called back. His laced leather boots splashed across the water pooling over the concrete as he made his way inside the alley.

The box lay on a stack of cardboard boxes, the lid closed, fraying around the edges. Small enough, it seemed, to fit a puppy. And it was already soaked. A soft whimper came from inside, and Zack thought he heard pawing and scraping noises.

When Kunsel reached him, Zack pushed his groceries to his friend’s arms with nothing more than a “Hold this for me.” Kunsel made to protest, but he stopped short when Zack crouched by the box and opened the lid. A puppy lay there, black eyes wide with fear and trepidation. It had long flappy ears with brown and black fur, and a white underbelly. It jumped in surprise when the box suddenly opened, cowering in the corner, and drawing back its teeth in a soft growl.

They stared in silence.

“Poor guy,” Kunsel said, quiet.

Zack moved his umbrella over the puppy and reached his hand out to it. The beagle growled louder, half-whimpering, and moving to bite his finger. Zack drew his hand back.

Kunsel stared at him. “What are you doing?”

“I can’t leave him here.”

A pause. “You’re taking him?”

“Yeah.”

“Animals aren’t allowed in the building.”

He knew that. But it was raining, and the puppy had no home nor food nor owner. Heck, it was trembling just from the sight of him. There was no way he could leave it there.

Zack reached his hand out again, gingerly moving to the back of its head where its teeth and paws couldn’t reach him. The puppy stiffened, its growls sounding more frightened than threatening. But it didn’t back away, and Zack took that as cue that he could keep stroking its head, whispering soothing words until he felt its resistance slowly crumble. When the puppy began nuzzling his hand, Zack’s heart melted.

Balancing his umbrella against his shoulder, Zack picked up the wet beagle from the box. It was thin, the fur sticking to its skin showed jutting bones in prominent places. Still, Zack could see light burning at the back of its black beady eyes. It barked and lapped its tongue against its muzzle, making him smile.

“It looks like Stamp,” he said. He got to his feet, cradling the puppy with one hand while holding the umbrella with another.

“What?”

“Stamp. The mascot—”

“I know who Stamp is,” Kunsel interjected.

“Think that’s what I’m gonna call him.”

Kunsel pressed his lips together. “Zack, I know you wanna help the puppy—”

Zack brought Stamp toward Kunsel’s face, cutting him off. “Tell me he’s not the cutest dog you’ve ever seen and I’ll listen to you.”  

“Zack—” his friend began, but Zack would not budge. His jaws were set, eyes hard. Kunsel sighed then shifted his eyes on the puppy. The puppy stared back, and several silent moments passed with nothing but the sound of rain thrumming against their umbrellas. Stamp broke the silence with its cute little bark, and Kunsel wavered.

“He’s cute but,”—Kunsel nodded at the door with the flickering lights behind Zack—“look, it’s in front of a shop. Why not show him to the owner and maybe he’ll take care of him.”

“Maybe,” Zack echoed.

Kunsel frowned. “So, what, you’re just gonna stroll through the front door with a dog in your hands?”

Not exactly through the front doors. Zack wasn’t that stupid. Maybe the back door? The emergency exit seemed like a plausible option. But Kunsel only stared at him in shocked amusement, finally conceding when Zack showed no sign of backing down.

Still, no animals in the building meant no animals in the building. Even if that animal was abandoned and starving. “You can’t hide him forever and you certainly won’t be left unscathed once they find out,” Kunsel went on.

He was right, Zack knew that. But he had no choice. The puppy needed a warm bath and a good meal and a place to stay. His gaze fell on Stamp, and maybe the dog could read his mind because it was giving him the most adorable, heart-melting puppy-dog eyes Zack had ever seen and there was no way Zack could say no.

“I’ll ask Angeal,” he said, the name popping out from the back of his mind. His mentor would know what to do with it.

***

“Angeal won’t allow it, dumbass!” Kunsel hissed at him as they made their way up the emergency staircase of the Shinra Building. Stamp was securely hidden beneath Zack’s shirt, forming a bump over his stomach that he hoped could pass off as having eaten too much. If the dog doesn’t whine or whimper or move while you’re at it, Kunsel had said. It wasn’t that bad of an idea, if Zack could say so himself.

They climbed the deserted ladders all the way to the SOLDIER quarters, two steps at a time once Stamp became restless. Kunsel still held their groceries, while Zack held the bump close to his abdomen. A tiny bark echoed across the endless chamber.

“Sshh! You’ll be out soon.”

Kunsel reached the landing first and gingerly opened the emergency door. He slipped his head inside. “Coast clear,” he whispered. He pushed the door with his shoulder and held it open for Zack. Cool air hit Zack’s face. Sleek gray ceiling and sleek gray walls, the floor scrubbed so clean he could almost see his reflection on it. They were in the long hall leading to the lounge. Doors on either side set in intervals leading to SOLDIER member rooms. No one was around.

Stamp moved again, letting out a soft whine. Now, to unload their baggage in his room and head for the bathing area. He hoped it was empty.

Kunsel closed the door so softly no one would have noticed anyone had entered through there. Quick, quiet feet—both of them raced through the halls toward Zack’s room. Zack almost exhaled a sigh of relief when they rounded the corner his room would be in, only to stop short when a tall figure entered his line of sight. Slicked-back shoulder-length jet-black hair in the black garb of SOLDIER 1st Class, it was the massive broadsword clipped to his back that drew Zack’s attention. Angeal stood before Zack’s door, hand held out as if about to knock, when Zack and Kunsel’s footsteps faltered. He looked up at their approach.

Kunsel immediately stood at attention while Zack struggled to keep Stamp from making a sound. He found the pup’s muzzle and clamped it shut, cutting short Stamp’s whimpering protest.

“W—What is it, Angeal? I thought you told me to rest.”

“I did, but—” He stared at the lump over Zack’s abdomen. A shiver ran down Zack’s spine, the air felt colder against the sweat now covering his brow. “What do you have there?”

“I—uh—ate too much?”

His mentor quirked an eyebrow. Folding his arms, he set his mouth in a straight line. “And why is that a question?”

Zack could almost hear Kunsel saying, I told you so. At that moment, Stamp growled from deep within it throat and shook its muzzle free from Zack’s grip, its bark loud in that quiet, deserted hall. Angeal’s eyes widened for a fraction of a second. And then it came, the death glare that could turn anyone to stone. Zack would hide behind Kunsel if he could, but his mentor had already nodded toward his room. Sharing a glance with Kunsel, the boys silently trudged inside.

Once the door was closed, Zack let Stamp out of its restrictions. The puppy leaped onto the floor, shaking water all over the place.

“A puppy,” was Angeal’s first response. Stamp sat on the cool floor, licking himself dry. His mentor’s gaze moved to Zack. Not exactly reprimanding, but not in approval either. “You brought a puppy to the building.”

“It was abandoned!” Zack protested, turning around with arms splayed on both sides. “It was raining and the box was soaked and Stamp was scared and shivering and hungry—”

“Stamp?”

“The pup’s name,” Kunsel answered from behind him. He hadn’t put the groceries down.

Angeal spared him a glance, before directing his gaze back at Zack. “You named it?”

“Well, I—”

“Were you going to keep it?”

Angeal’s voice dropped an octave. If looks could kill…

Zack looked at Kunsel for help, but his friend stood helplessly behind his mentor. Kunsel only offered him a shrug and a condolatory smile, and maybe Zack should have listened to him, but there was no way he could have left Stamp behind. Not when someone had dumped the poor pup on the trash with no food and only a sodden cardboard box as a shelter.

Stamp finished licking itself, its fur sticking out on all sides. It looked at him with its big, wide eyes, and seemed to smile. Zack picked him up and held him out to Angeal.

“Look at him in the eyes and tell me he’s not the cutest puppy you’ve ever seen!”

Angeal’s frown only deepened, but Zack set his jaws and he wasn’t going to move until Angeal said he could keep it. He’d probably get a whacking in their next training session, and no mission or assignment for a while, but if that meant Stamp would have a home, then Zack would accept any punishment they gave him.

The silence stretched as Zack and Angeal glared into each other’s eyes, broken only when Stamp barked. Angeal instinctively shifted his gaze toward it. And then Zack watched, gritting his teeth, and waited until the hard gaze would soften and the frown would turn into a smile. Because despite everything, his mentor had a soft spot for dogs. Angeal had even called him a puppy. Zack bet on everything for that to waver his mentor’s mind.

A moment passed, then another, then Stamp let out a soft whine, muzzle reaching out toward Angeal, and Angeal’s frown faltered, transforming into the first hint of a smile.

“It’s cute,” he said. Zack exhaled the deep breath he didn’t realize he had been holding. Angeal stroked the puppy’s head. “But that doesn’t mean you can keep it here.”

Zack had almost grinned, almost sighed with relief because if Angeal had accepted Stamp’s presence, it would have been a breeze going forward. But his grin was short-lived. Angeal’s gaze was uncompromising when he said, “Rules are rules. If you can’t abide by them, you have no business being here.”

“But—”

“So I’ll look for a place where he can stay.” The offer took him by surprise that his mind went blank. Angeal’s face softened. “For now, give the little guy a bath. I believe you’ve bought supplies.” His mentor glanced at the grocery bag in Kunsel’s arms.

Angeal turned on his feet and headed for the door, the Buster Sword on his back zinged as it slid on its magnet clip with each step. Zack broke out of his trance when the door slid open, but his mentor had already disappeared before he could say thanks.

Stamp grew restless in his grip, and Zack put it down. His body felt heavy then, and all he wanted was to sigh and throw himself on his bed.

“Good for you, then,” Kunsel said. He hadn’t moved from his spot by the door, but he was grinning.

Stamp was walking around and sniffing Zack’s stuffs—from the bed, to the drawer, to his desk. Zack grinned back.

“Good for him.”

~ END ~

[rune-writes]

To Become A Hero

@ffseven #zackweek » Day 5: Dream

The Price of Freedom Part 5

Word Count: 1669

Rating: G

Summary: It is the summer of [ μ ] - εγλ 1997. Twelve-year-old Zack dreams of becoming a SOLDIER.

Note: A look into Zack’s childhood and why he wants to become a hero.

Read on AO3. 

~*~*~*~*~

It was one of those days when the sun burned bright over the barren wasteland and the day was too hot, too humid to stay cooped up in a small stone house, where his mother was making some soup or stew over a blazing fire in the stove. Zack lay on his back beneath the shade of a tree on the cliff, sweat covering his brow and neck and his shirt was already soaked. His jet-black hair plastered to his skin, he fanned himself with one of the bigger, sturdier leaves, but that didn’t do much good when even the air was hot. Summer in Gongaga was a hell of its own.

“And now, for our coverage on Wutai…”

The static voice came from the small radio he’d swiped from the house. No one used it anyway. His father was out working in the day and his mother was always busy, either cooking or up to other stuffs with the village ladies. He had no friends his age. Most kids were either older and leaving to find jobs outside Gongaga, or much younger that he couldn’t ask them to play his games with him. Not that he’d say no if they asked him to play. He was their big brother after all. But, sometimes, being on the cliff’s edge like this with the village’s blue circular rooftops dotting the jungle far below and the gray outline of the Mako Reactor visible in the distance, the vast cloudless blue sky stretching as far as the eye could see, all Zack wanted was to fly.

More statics. One reason why Zack spent a lot of time at the cliff was because the higher ground usually had good reception for the radio. “Usually” being the keyword. Zack hit the top surface with his fist. The static cleared up and a voice came out.

“…saragi has set up defenses. A fight has broken out. Under Sephiroth’s leadersh…SOLDIE…nd infantrym…eak past…………………”

Zack hit the radio several more times. He should try going to the Reactor one of these days. It had to have better reception, right? How else could Shinra monitor it from all the way over in Midgar? They'd told the kids to stay away, but Zack could probably go past security one way or another. He’d done so in the past.

“You’re going to break it if you keep doing that.”

The familiar yet unexpected voice jerked him in surprise. Zack glanced up from his position and saw a young man standing at the edges of his vision, upside-down, by the bushes and undergrowth, coming in from the path leading down the hill. Brown leather boots and pants with green checkered shirt beneath a brown vest, the man wore an amicable grin as he said, “Knew I’d find you here.”

Zack’s mouth broke into a grin of his own. “Rei!”

Rei was a friend and a neighbor. Older by a few years, he had left to join a traveling merchant group that used to frequent Gongaga a lot a few years back. They hadn’t been back here for a while.

“What’s going on?” Zack said, sitting up. “I didn’t know you were coming.” Rei chuckled. Summer breeze parted his dark hair, his skin a darker shade of the brown Zack had been familiar with. Zack patted the spot next to him. “Where did you go? Any new, exciting places? What about Midgar? Is it as big as they say? Tell me of all the places you’ve been to.” Zack had talked so fast he was running out of breath by the time Rei reached him, taking his seat next to him.

“Slow down, kiddo,” his friend said with a laugh.

“For your information, I’ll be thirteen in a few months. I’m not a kid anymore.” He had an air of bravado, as though being thirteen was everything a kid could ever dream of. Though, well, in actuality, it was. Being thirteen meant he would be old enough to make his own decisions, to look for a job, and no one would be able to stop him if he wanted to try his chances outside this backwater village.

The corners of Rei’s lips quirked up. He ruffled Zack’s hair. “You’re still going to be my little brother no matter how old you get,” he said. Zack brushed his hand away with a scowl. Rei grinned. He stretched his legs in front of him and leaned back against his arms under the tree shade. “Midgar, huh…” His dark gray eyes took on a faraway look as he stared across the clear blue sky. “It’s big, all right.”

“And?” Zack prompted when Rei didn’t continue.

“I never really stayed there long,” Rei went on. “The group’s always moving about. But…yeah, it’s kinda cool, I guess. Cool as in a lot cooler in the summer unlike Gongaga, and maybe cool with all the plates and all, too. We spent more time in the slums than the uppercity. Not many people would look at our wares there. They’re 'too elite', if that makes sense. Though, compared to their stores and whatnot, I can’t really blame them. To be honest, I like the slums more. More personality. People are nicer too—most of them. You’d still find thugs, but thugs are everywhere. The only downside I can think of is that you can’t see the sky.”

Zack narrowed his eyes in confusion. “How can you not see the sky?”

“You can, just a sliver bit.” His hand went to draw imaginary plates and walls to indicate where the sky in Midgar was. “The upper plate covered most of the sky. One might even call it a steel sky. But it’s nice when night comes and these lights flickered to life like stars. The central Corkscrew Tunnel is also lit up so bright you can't ever lose your way.”

“Corkscrew Tunnel?”

“This tunnel that goes around the central structure that supports the center of the city. It’s where trains go, connecting the upper plate and the slums below.”

Zack couldn’t imagine it. He couldn’t imagine the scale in which Rei described it. All his world had only consisted of the jungle, the cliff, and the village. Sometimes, people from Midgar would come to inspect the Reactor, but they only spoke to the adults and they’d leave before dusk even came. Other times, Zack would find spots in the cliffs and hills surrounding the village where he could see the vast expanse of greenery beyond the jungle and the sliver stretch of blue where ocean met the sky. The world was so big, yet he was stuck in this small village no one had probably heard about.

“You still thinking of getting into SOLDIER?” Rei asked with a glance from the corner of his eye.

“Of course!” Zack leaped to his feet and puffed out his chest, hitting his torso with a clenched hand like a proud soldier having won a war. “I’m gonna be a hero, the best SOLDIER there ever was.”

“You’re gonna have to take on Sephiroth if you want to be the best.”

“You bet I would.” He’d said it with great zeal and determination. In his mind, he could imagine himself battling the white-haired warrior with his long-bladed sword, a steel blade in Zack’s hand as he rushed in and strike.

Rei’s snort brought him back to the present and when Zack looked, his older-brother figure was doubling over with laughter. The corners of Zack’s lips tugged into a sheepish smile. “Not good, huh?” he said.

“You’re never going to defeat Sephiroth,” Rei said in-between chuckles. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t be a hero, or a great SOLDIER.” He grinned, and after a while, Zack grinned back.

They went on to talk about everything, catching up on the last three years Rei had been away. Nothing much had changed. Gongaga was still a backwater village with not much else outside the jungle and the Mako Reactor within. Some of the adults still worked at the Reactor. Others looked for jobs as merchants or fishermen or hunters and foragers.

“Why not stay?” Rei asked one time, arms loosely hugging his knees to his chest. “Work at the Reactor like your father.”

Zack gave him a side-eye. “Why didn’t you stay?”

Rei stared, then nodded, saying, “Good point.”

Any normal person living in the middle of nowhere would dream of going out and having a job somewhere. Some place that actually had life—and Midgar was the best bet. A modern, bustling, metropolitan city—one could say it was the center of the world, with vast technological advances, lots of high-rises and skyscrapers, and, most importantly, job offers. SOLDIER was only one of them.

Zack had heard how difficult it was to enter the company. From the tough screening program to other exams no one was privy of. Only a handful of candidates graduated every year. But Zack would do it. Once he turned thirteen in September, he’d embark on this new quest. He’d go to Midgar, take the SOLDIER test, and he’d come out the winner. It would be the start of his new life. His new self. And maybe—just maybe—if he managed to gain fame and become a hero…

Maybe they’d do something about this place. And for once, his parents wouldn’t have to break their backs every day to earn a living.

“Have you told your parents?” Rei asked.

Zack went quiet. He hadn’t. They probably wouldn’t let him.

Rei drew a quiet breath as he smiled a soft, understanding smile. He gazed back down at the village, where people could be seen mingling around in-between houses. The soft sound of a babbling brook filled the space. From somewhere far away, a waterfall cascaded over rocks and boulders down the side of a cliff.

Rei ruffled his hair, and this time, Zack let him. “Make sure you tell them, all right?” he said.

Zack pressed his lips into a thin line. “Okay.”

~ END ~

[rune-writes]

Flickering Lights

@ffseven #zackweek » Day 4: Hope

The Price of Freedom Part 4

Word Count: 898

Rating: G

Summary: Before Zack departs to Nibelheim, Kunsel asks why Zack looks troubled.

Note: more Zack x Kunsel friendship fic, inspired by Kunsel’s mails to Zack, in which Kunsel tells Zack he could tell him anything, and where Kunsel goes and offers Aerith to fix her flower cart.

Read on AO3.

~*~*~*~*~

It was the night before his mission. Zack stood at the empty lounge staring across the thick, double-pane windows, arms folded across his chest. Standing at Floor 49 made him feel like he was at the top of the world. The ground felt so far, the lights of the Midgar Uppercity flickered like stars in the sky. But there were no stars that night. Not even a moon to be seen. The inky blackness stretched as far as the eye could see, mountain peaks jutted in the far southern distance. Beyond that was Junon, where they would board a ship, onward to Nibelheim.

Where was Aerith, he wondered. His eyes searched the flickering lights, as though he could will himself to see past the plates and into the slums. To the little cottage surrounded by stone walls, where the water ran so clear that flowers bloomed all around. He had left the girl back at the church, after going with her to the Sector 6 playground, pushing along the flower cart he’d built for her. Let’s go sell flowers under the sky together, she’d said. I won’t be afraid if you’re with me. Zack had promised her he would.

“There you are.” The voice broke through his reverie. Kunsel walked in from the adjacent hall, joining him by his side. “Ready to depart?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Zack said, his gaze returning to the windows.

There was a short pause before Kunsel said, “Scary face you got there, for one who’s just seen his girlfriend.” And Zack half scoffed, a retort ready on his lips, but when he looked, his friend was staring straight ahead, past the windows and into the darkness. Kunsel glanced at him from the corner of his eyes. “Wanna talk about it?”

Another pause, this time from Zack, because he hadn’t expected the question, and his reflex was to grin and tease him, saying, “You’re worried about me?” But there was no playfulness in the contours of Kunsel’s face.

“Being serious doesn’t suit you, you know,” he ended up saying, his voice laced with a quiet laugh.

Yet Kunsel didn’t miss a beat. “Nor you.” They looked at each other, sharing grins between themselves.

His friend had sent him an email that afternoon, saying something about listening to anything Zack wanted to say. Zack hadn’t understood what it meant—still didn’t quite understand it now. Was he the type who kept things to himself? Maybe? He didn’t know. He’d thought he knew; he wasn’t so sure of it now.

Talk to me, Zack, Kunsel had said in his mail. Talk about what? About the way Aerith’s eyes were downcast when they promised to sell flowers under the sky? Or the small piece of paper he now kept in his pocket with all her twenty-three wishes inside? Or maybe Kunsel didn’t mean Aerith. Maybe he meant Angeal, or this whole mess SOLDIER was in.

Something inside him screamed, but no matter how much Zack strained his ears, he couldn’t make out any of its words.

“I feel restless,” Zack finally said, his quiet voice sounded loud in his ears. The vast stretch of black sky drew him in and he couldn’t see anything else beyond it. “Like I can’t wait to get this mission over and done with so I can be with her more. Tseng’s promised to protect her, then there’s that Copy too, but...” his voice trailed off, ending with a soft scoff under his breath. “Maybe it’s just a case of lovestruck?”

He had been serious, but when Kunsel snorted with laughter, Zack’s face burned.

“Don’t laugh!”

“Sorry, sorry.” Kunsel wheezed, his shoulders shaking as he tried to contain his laugh. “I’d never thought I’d hear the word lovestruck coming from Zack Fair’s mouth.”

Zack frowned. But maybe Kunsel had a point. It wasn’t like him to be sentimental. Then again, maybe it was like him. He just hadn’t met anyone who could make him feel like this…until Aerith.

“Joking aside,” Kunsel went on, brushing a stray tear from his eye. “You don’t have to worry about her, Zack. If having two bodyguards isn’t enough, then I’ll look after her, too.”

Zack’s eyes widened. “You will?”

Kunsel shrugged. “Might get some juicy info from her. Though, I have known you longer. She might be the one who wants juicy info from me.”

Having Aerith meet Kunsel might be a bad idea after all. Who knew what sort of blasphemy he would tell her? But it did put Zack’s mind more at ease. And having two of his most important people in the world having each other’s backs while he was away was everything he could have hoped for.

“Just promise me one thing,” his friend went on. A quiet pause, before he said, “Come back safe. You have someone waiting for you now.”

And Zack would have laughed, like he always did. Puffed out his chest and said, “Like you don’t know me,” or “That’s what heroes do.” But Kunsel’s gaze was hard as he stared across the windows, his mouth stretched into a thin line. The only response Zack could muster was a small smile, soft as he averted his eyes back toward the dark.

“Of course,” he said.

Quiet fell between them as they watched the flickering lights in silence. The endless blue-black sky didn’t look so imposing anymore.

~ END ~

[snowlily95]

Fanfic For ZackWeek Day 4

@ffseven #zackweek » Day 4: Health Care

Title: Blooms of Hope

Summary:

AU — Zack was sent for a search and rescue mission with Cloud. He met Aerith and Tifa and learns how hope heals physical and emotional pain. So long as there’s a next breath, there will always be a new beginning. — Written for ZackWeek2020. Dedicated for the victims of Western North America Wildfire 2020 tragedy. [Zerith, slight Cloti]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/26644354